Canadian quad-play operator Rogers Communications reported total revenue up 8% year-on-year to CAD3.633 billion (USD2.876 billion) in the three months ended 31 March 2018. Cable revenue increased 1% to CAD969 million in Q1 2018 as internet revenue growth of 7% continued to drive the segment. The company highlighted the availability of its Ignite Gigabit Internet product over its entire cable footprint as a key differentiator in signing up users, whilst noting the continuing growth in demand for higher speeds; 56% of Rogers’ residential internet customers were on speeds of 100Mbps or higher by end-March 2018, up from 48% twelve months earlier. Cable internet subscribers totalled 2.347 million at end-March 2018, up by 88,000 in twelve months.
The main driver, though, was quarterly wireless revenues which galloped upwards by 9% y-o-y to CAD2.191 billion, as post-paid mobile subscribers increased by 182,000 in twelve months to reach a total of 8.799 million, while the pre-paid user base rose by 43,000 on a yearly net basis to 1.718 million. Rogers’ total EBITDA rose 14% y-o-y in 1Q18 to CAD1.338 billion, and Q1 net profit jumped 37% to CAD425 million.